Every August 28th, laws enacted in the previous year’s legislative session become active law. There are no major changes to any laws this year, or anything too exciting. Still, here’s a brief list of some of the new laws that became effective on August 28, 2021:

Vandalizing “any public monument or structure on public property” can now be charged as high as a Class D Felony (575.085)

“Willfully or recklessly” interfering with an ambulance is now a Class D Misdemeanor (574.203)

Any juvenile charged with a crime that carries jail time is entitled to an attorney (211.211)

The old Class C Misdemeanor of posting personal information about someone (ex: their address, phone number, Social Security number) online with the intent “to cause great bodily harm or death . . .  or threatening to cause great bodily harm or death to such person” is now a Class E Felony if the person you post about is a “law enforcement officer, parole officer, judge, commissioner, or prosecuting attorney” or a family member of such a person (565.240)

Shining a laser pointer at a police officer, “uniformed safety officer” and other first responders is now a Class A Misdemeanor (574.110)

Officers can on longer use a “choke hold” “unless the use is in defense of the officer or another from serious physical injury or death” (590.805)